U.S. patent number 6,070,834 [Application Number 08/994,682] was granted by the patent office on 2000-06-06 for aerodynamic body with internal actuating drives.
This patent grant is currently assigned to DaimlerChrysler AG. Invention is credited to Peter Janker, Felix Nitschke.
United States Patent |
6,070,834 |
Janker , et al. |
June 6, 2000 |
Aerodynamic body with internal actuating drives
Abstract
A segment 1 of an aerodynamic body has as the internal actuating
drive an actuator 7, which acts on an upper profile shell 2 with
one working piston 9 and on a lower profile shell with a working
piston 8 acting in the opposite direction to generate oppositely
directed arches of the segment 1. The profile shells 2 and 3 are
mounted displaceably in relation to one another in dovetail guides
4 and 5.
Inventors: |
Janker; Peter (Garching,
DE), Nitschke; Felix (Munchen, DE) |
Assignee: |
DaimlerChrysler AG (Stuttgart,
DE)
|
Family
ID: |
7815903 |
Appl.
No.: |
08/994,682 |
Filed: |
December 19, 1997 |
Foreign Application Priority Data
|
|
|
|
|
Dec 21, 1996 [DE] |
|
|
196 53 851 |
|
Current U.S.
Class: |
244/219; 244/213;
244/215 |
Current CPC
Class: |
B64C
3/48 (20130101) |
Current International
Class: |
B64C
3/00 (20060101); B64C 3/48 (20060101); B64C
003/44 () |
Field of
Search: |
;244/219,213,214,215,216,217,218 |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Foreign Patent Documents
Other References
Navy Technical Catalog No. 0164, Navy Technical Disclosure Bulletin
vol. 10, No. 4, Jun., 1985, pp. 101-106..
|
Primary Examiner: Poon; Peter M.
Assistant Examiner: Dinh; Tien
Attorney, Agent or Firm: McGlew and Tuttle, P.C.
Claims
What is claimed is:
1. An aerodynamic body, comprising:
a lower profile shell including a lower aerodynamic body skin and
an integral lower profile shell portion;
an upper profile shell including an upper aerodynamic body skin and
an integral upper profile shell portion, said lower profile shell
and said upper profile shell cooperating to define an interior;
said integral lower profile shell portion extending into said
interior and said integral upper profile shell portion extending
into said interior and
an internal actuating drive, disposed in said interior, said drive
for acting on said upper profile shell with a working piston and
for acting on said lower profile shell with another working piston
acting in the opposite direction, wherein the profile shells are
arranged displaceably in relation to one another wherein selective
actuation of said working piston and said another working piston
vary shapes of arches defined by said lower aerodynamic body skin
and said upper aerodynamic body skin.
2. The aerodynamic body in accordance with claim 1, wherein said
lower profile and said upper profile shell are part of a body
segment.
3. The aerodynamic body in accordance with claim 1, further
comprising shell guide means including dovetail guides, wherein
said profile shells are able to slide on one another by means of
said dovetail guides.
4. The aerodynamic body in accordance with claim 1, wherein said
upper profile shell and said lower profile shell cooperate to form
a space before said internal actuating drive and said upper profile
shell and said lower profile shell are completely or partially
connected to foam material, wherein said space before said internal
actuating drive, which is mostly curved during an arching of said
segment, is free from said foam material.
5. The aerodynamic body in accordance with claim 2, further
comprising:
a space defined in said interior of said segment; and
two additional actuators mutually connected to said upper profile
shell and said lower profile shell and to a front spar, to support
said internal actuating drive disposed at rear edges of said
segment, said additional actuators being provided in said space in
said middle of said segment.
6. An aerodynamic body, comprising:
a body segment with
a lower profile shell including integral lower aerodynamic body
skin and an integral lower profile shell portion,
an upper profile shell including integral upper aerodynamic body
skin and an integral upper profile shell portion, said lower
profile shell and said upper profile shell cooperating to define an
interior said integral lower profile shell portion extending into
said interior and said integral upper profile shell portion
extending into said interior, and
an internal actuating drive disposed in said interior for
generating variable arches with at least one actuator which acts
directly on said upper profile shell portion with a working piston
and acts directly on said lower profile shell portion with another
working piston acting in the opposite direction, wherein the
profile shells are arranged displaceably in relation to one
another.
7. The aerodynamic body in accordance with claim 6, wherein said
actuator is arranged in a vicinity of a rear edge.
8. The aerodynamic body in accordance with claim 6, further
comprising shell guide means including dovetail guides, wherein
said profile shells are able to slide on one another by means of
said dovetail guides.
9. The aerodynamic body in accordance with claim 6, wherein said
upper profile shell and said lower profile shell cooperate to form
a space before said actuator and said upper profile shell and said
lower profile shell are completely or partially connected to foam
material, wherein said space before said actuator, which is mostly
curved during an arching of said segment, is free from said foam
material.
10. The aerodynamic body in accordance with claim 6, further
comprising:
a space in the middle of said segment; and
two additional actuators mutually connected to said upper profile
shell and said lower profile shell and to a front spar, to support
said internal actuating drive disposed at rear edges of said
segment, said additional actuators being provided in said space in
said middle of said segment.
11. An aerodynamic body, comprising:
a lower profile shell including a lower aerodynamic body skin and
an integral lower profile shell portion extending away from said
lower aerodynamic body skin;
an upper profile shell including an upper aerodynamic body skin and
an integral upper shell portion extending away from said lower
aerodynamic body skin, said lower profile shell and said upper
profile shell cooperating to define an interior, said lower profile
shell portion extending into said interior and said upper profile
shell portion extending into said interior;
an actuating drive, disposed in said interior, said drive having a
working piston acting on said lower profile shell portion and
having a working piston acting on said upper profile shell portion;
and
a sliding connection between said lower profile shell and said
upper profile shell.
12. The aerodynamic body in accordance with claim 11, wherein said
lower profile shell and said upper profile shell are part of a body
segment and one said actuating drive is arranged per said body
segment in the vicinity of a rear edge of said body segment.
13. The aerodynamic body in accordance with claim 11, wherein said
sliding connection includes dovetail guides, wherein said profile
shells are able to slide relative to one another.
14. The aerodynamic body in accordance with claim 12, wherein said
upper profile shell and said lower profile shell cooperate to form
a space before said actuating drive and said upper profile shell
and said lower profile shell are completely or partially connected
to foam material, wherein said space before said actuator, which is
mostly curved during an arching of said segment, is free from foam
material.
15. The aerodynamic body in accordance with claim 12, further
comprising:
a space defined in said interior of said segment; and
two additional actuators mutually connected to said upper profile
shell and said lower profile shell and to a front spar, to support
said actuating drive disposed at rear edges of said segment, said
additional actuators being provided in said space in said middle of
said segment.
16. The aerodynamic body according to claim 11, wherein
said sliding connection is adjacent to a trailing edge of the
aerodynamic body.
17. The aerodynamic body according to claim 6, wherein
said displaceable arrangement between said lower profile shell and
said upper profile shell includes a sliding connection adjacent to
a trailing edge of the aerodynamic body.
Description
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention pertains to an aerodynamic body with internal
actuating drives for generating variable arches.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
An aerodynamic body is already known from U.S. Pat. No. 4,247,066,
in which two beams, that can be adjusted in relation to one another
in an articulated manner with threaded rods, are arranged in each
segment. As a result of this a variable arch can be generated. The
elastic profile skin slides on the beams and is also bent during
their adjustment. The actuating drives used here require a
considerable mechanical effort in terms of beams, threaded rods and
ball joints.
SUMMARY AND OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION
The primary object of the present invention is to design an
aerodynamic body of the type described in the introduction in a
simpler and more reliably functioning form.
According to the invention, an aerodynamic body is provided with
internal actuating drives for generating variable arches. At least
one actuator is provided as an actuating drive which acts on an
upper profile shell with a working piston and on a lower profile
shell with a working piston, acting in the opposite direction. The
profile shells are arranged displaceably in relation to one
another.
One actuator is preferably arranged per body segment in the
vicinity of the rear edge. The profile shells are preferably able
to slide on one another by means of dovetail guides.
In the space before said actuator, the profile shells may be
completely or partially connected to foam material, wherein a said
space, which is mostly curved during the arching of the segment, is
free from foam material.
To support the one actuator at the rear edges of a segment, two
additional actuators, which are mutually connected to the said
profile shells and to a front spar, are preferably provided in a
space in the middle of said segment.
The profile shape of an aerodynamic body can be adjusted
continuously by actuators with a lower working energy by means of
the actuating drives according to the present invention. The
profile shells are subjected to bending and absorb only a small
amount of elastic energy because of their geometric shape. Thus,
only a small amount of adjusting energy is to be generated with the
actuators, which also absorb the longitudinal forces. The actuators
are preferably arranged in the vicinity of the rear edge in each
segment of the aerodynamic body. The profile shells can slide on
one another by means of dovetail guides, which absorb the lateral
forces.
To achieve a high inherent stability, the profile shells in the
space between the profile shells before the actuator are completely
or partially connected to foam material, which is subjected to
shear during the adjustment. Areas of high shear deformation due to
the arch of the aerodynamic body may be kept free from foam
material in order to avoid the generation of excessive elastic
forces and material failure. If necessary, the profile shells may
be reinforced or be stiffened with stringers in this area in order
the prevent an unacceptable bulging out at right angles to the
chord of the profile of the body under air load. In the case of
very large and rigid aerodynamic bodies, two additional actuators,
which cooperate in generating the arch, may also be arranged in the
space between the actuator at the rear edge and a spar arranged in
the front half of the body, which are mutually connected to the
profile shells and to the spar.
The various features of novelty which characterize the invention
are pointed out with particularity in the claims annexed to and
forming a part of this disclosure. For a better understanding of
the invention, its operating advantages and specific objects
attained by its uses, reference is made to the accompanying
drawings and descriptive matter in which preferred embodiments of
the invention are illustrated.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
In the drawings:
FIG. 1 is a sectional view of the rear edge of a segment of an
aerodynamic body with a built-in actuator;
FIG. 2 is an entire segment of the body according to FIG. 1 with
upwardly arched rear edge;
FIG. 3 is the segment according to FIG. 2 with downwardly arched
rear edge; and
FIG. 4 is a segment of an aerodynamic body, in which two additional
actuators are arranged in the middle.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
Referring to the drawings in particular, the invention comprises an
upper profile shell 2 and a lower profile shell 3, which are able
to slide on one another by means of dovetail guides 4 and 5. The
profile shells are present in the rear edge of a segment 1 of an
aerodynamic body. The upper profile shell 2 includes an upper
aerodynamic body skin. The lower profile shell 3 includes a lower
aerodynamic body skin. By an attachment 3a, the lower profile shell
3 forms a hollow space 6 with the upper profile shell 2. An
actuator 7 is mounted in this hollow space 6. At both ends, the
actuator 7 has working pistons 8 and 9, which can be extended,
e.g., hydraulically, and they engage openings 11 and 12 of the
profile shells 3 and 2. The opening 11 is formed in a lower profile
shell portion of lower profile shell 3 extending away from the
lower aerodynamic body skin (e.g., into the interior of the
connected shells). The opening 12 is formed in an upper profile
shell portion of upper profile shell 2 extending away from the
upper aerodynamic body skin (e.g., into the interior of the
connected shells). When the working piston 9 is extended, as is
shown in FIG. 2, the profile shell 2 is pressed upward, as a result
of which the aerodynamic body 1 arches upward. When the working
piston 8 is being extended, it acts on the profile shell 3, as a
result of which the segment 1 of the aerodynamic body arches
downward, corresponding to FIG. 3. The profile shells 2 and 3 slide
on one another in both cases by means of the dovetail guides, which
also act as supports at the same time.
FIGS. 2 and 3 also show that supports 13 through 17 made of foam
material,
which are subjected to shear during the adjustment of the profile
shells 2 and 3, are arranged in the space between the profile
shells 2 and 3 before the actuators 7. The space 18 of high
shearing stress behind the actuator 7 is advantageously kept free.
The profile shells 2 and 3 are connected to a spar 19 in the front
part of the segment 1.
FIG. 4 shows a segment 20 of another aerodynamic body, in which two
additional actuators 21 and 22 are also built in in the space 23 in
the middle of the segment 20, besides the actuator 7 at the rear
edge. The actuators 21 and 22 are supported on one side at the spar
19 with rods 24 and 25 and have working pistons 26 and 27 of
increased length, with which they are able to act on the profile
shells 2 and 3 to generate the desired arch of the profile. The
segment 20 is also provided with a reinforcement 28.
While specific embodiments of the invention have been shown and
described in detail to illustrate the application of the principles
of the invention, it will be understood that the invention may be
embodied otherwise without departing from such principles.
* * * * *